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OUR TAKE: NC State’s 2019 Kay Yow Spring Game Rundown

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5 years ago

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There was no Ryan Finley in Red or White today in the 2019 Kay Yow Spring Game, but there were 3 quarterbacks battling to be the one that fills his shoes come the Fall.

Redshirt Sophomore Matt McKay, Redshirt Freshman Devin Leary, and Redshirt Sophomore Bailey Hockman all got their reps.

To the shock of no one, McKay got the nod out of the gate. He has been with the program longer than anyone else, and enters this QB competition with an edge due to his experience. While he started off a little choppy, McKay finished strong. He completed 14 of his 24 pass attempts for 182 yards and a touchdown (14-yarder to Cary Angeline), and rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown. McKay was the most consistent and the most composed.

Leary flashed his potential today. He has a canon for an arm. Leary was 12 of 23 for 104 yards, with a touchdown (3-yarder to Thayer Thomas) and an interception (Brock Miller).

Hockman also flashed his ability make plays, and showed he could be effective throwing on the run. He finished the game completing 12 of 23 for 134 yards and a touchdown (61-yarder to Max Fisher).

Even though the biggest question surrounding this team is who the signal caller will be, the pressure on the QB room was lowered a little bit today with the explosion of Freshman Zonovan “BAM” Knight.

Knight was the MVP of the Spring Game, and it wasn’t even close. Gallaspy and Person were a good duo last year, but neither of them possessed the breakaway speed of Nyheim Hines. Knight does. He finished the game with 17 rushes for 139 yards and a touchdown (73-yarder), and also picked up 3 receptions for 26 yards.

There is 0% chance Knight redshirts in the Fall. He will feature prominently in the Wolfpack rush attack.

Redshirt Junior Wide Receiver CJ Riley had sure hands this afternoon, and showed his explosive play ability. Riley finished the game with 6 receptions for 113 yards, with two of his catches going for 35 and 40 yards.

Redshirt Freshman Devin Carter was 2nd on the team with 6 receptions for 60 yards. He looked like Kelvin Harmon on a deep ball, and is a brute for defenders to get to the ground.

Redshirt Sophomore Thayer Thomas didn’t make the trip to Boston College with his baseball teammates to play the Eagles. He had a Spring Game to play in. Thomas finished with 5 receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown, and almost had his hands on a couple of deep balls.

Freshman Keyon Lesane showed that the future is bright at slot receiver, showing off his quick and elusive ability with 4 receptions for 44 yards. With Thomas returning, and Tabari Hines transferring in, I don’t know how much Lesane will be featured in the Fall, but I think the coaches found something special in Lesane.

On the defensive side of the ball, Freshman Defensive Tackle Joshua Harris might have flashed the most in my eyes. He is going to be an extremely successful run stuffer in Raleigh. Harris finished with 7 tackles, which was tied for the team lead.

Sophomore Nickel Tyler Baker Williams had 3 pass breakups.

Sophomore Place Kicker Chris Dunn continues to be one of the Wolfpack fans favorite players on the roster. Not only can he make field goals…he can make them from long distance, splitting the uprights on a 53-yarder this afternoon.

AJ Cole was an excellent punter at NC State, but Redshirt Sophomore Mackenzie Morgan looks like he’s more than capable of filling his shoes. Dude has a boot. Quite a few of Morgan’s punts sailed well over 50 yards, and he was successful on numerous occasions pinning the ball down within the 10-yard line.

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Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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NC State Football

Auburn Transfer Linebacker Cam Riley Decommits from NC State

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4 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Auburn Transfer Linebacker Cam Riley (6’5″/242) announced tonight that he is decommitting from NC State.

Back on February 26th, Riley verbally committed to NC State. Players out of the Transfer Portal don’t sign a National Letter of Intent like players out of high school, making it easier for them to change their mind.

247Sports and ESPN both ranked Riley as a Top-300 4-Star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #229 overall player nationally in the 2020 class, the #14 Outside Linebacker, and the #10 player in the state of Alabama.

In 2020 and 2021, Riley played in 22 total games (2 starts), playing in 160 snaps, tallying 23 tackles. In 2022, Riley broke out, starting in 7 of the 11 games, ranking 2nd on the team in tackles, with 65.

This past season, Riley played in 13 games, but only started in 1. He had 32 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. His PFF grade of 66.7 was the highest of his career.

Over 4 seasons, Riley played in 46 games (10 starts) for Auburn, tallying 948 snaps.

In my mind, there was a good chance that Riley was going to earn the starting role at the SAM Linebacker position at NC State, with Sean Brown at the WILL and Caden Fordham at the MIKE.

Unless NC State grabs a Linebacker out of the Portal now, I would expect Redshirt Freshman Kelvon McBride to be at the starting SAM position at the beginning of Fall Camp.

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ON3: NC State’s Dave Doeren is 1 of the Top-25 Best Coaches in College Football

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11 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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ON3’s Jesse Simonton ranked the Top-25 College Football Coaches heading into the 2024 season, and NC State’s Dave Doeren ranks 23rd.

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Here’s what Simonton had to say about Doeren:

23. Dave Doeren, NC State

Doeren became the Wolfpack’s all-time winningest head coach last season, overcoming all manors of offensive ineptitude to win eight games for the fourth straight season. He still hasn’t busted through the glass ceiling and taken NC State to an ACC Championship, but the Wolfpack have legitimate conference title hopes in 2024 with the offseason work Doeren has done via the portal (quarterback Grayson McCall, tailbacks Jordan Waters and Hollywood Smothers and receivers Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes). 

In 11 seasons in Raleigh, Doeren’s program has been steadily consistent and has become a model for development (17 NFL Draft picks since 2018) and strength and conditioning. (ON3)

ACC Coaches in the Top-25

6. Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

7. Mike Norvell (FSU)

20. Jeff Brohm (Louisville)

23. Dave Doeren (NC State)

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NC State has Produced 19 1st Round NFL Draft Picks

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20 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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The 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft will begin this evening at 8pm on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. NC State has had 19 players drafted in the 1st round.

NC State ranks 8th in ACC history in 1st Round Picks.

Three of the Wolfpack’s 1st Round Picks have come under Dave Doeren’s watch, which ranks 2nd all-time in school history. Chuck Amato had 5 players drafted in the 1st round, which is the most ever under a coach at NC State.

Chuck Amato – 5
Dave Doeren – 3
Mike O’Cain – 2
Dick Sheridan – 2
Bo Rein – 2
Earle Edwards – 2

While most projections don’t have Wolfpack Linebacker Payton Wilson going in the 1st round tonight, a few do. Wilson was invited to attend the NFL Draft, but he will be tuning in from his home in Hillsborough. We’ll have to tune in tonight to see if Wilson hears his name called on the 1st night of the 2024 NFL Draft.

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WATCH QB Grayson McCall’s Tape from the 2024 NC State Spring Game

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State will have a new Quarterback in 2024 in Coastal Carolina Transfer Grayson McCall. A few weeks back, McCall looked sharp in the 2024 Spring Game, completing 16 of his 20 pass attempts for 205 yards and a touchdown. McCall was accuracy and composure were evident in his first time playing in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Check out McCall’s tape from the Spring Game.

 

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